Welcome to the Say What?! Blog. It’s been years in the making and lots of colleagues, friends and family encouraging me to share my goods. So, here they are…
My goals are to support you through these posts. It’s always been my philosophy that my expertise, built on years of training, endless hours of research, and, of course, working directly with unique learners, should be passed on to others. My professional disposition includes “therapy” for the adults (and peers) who hold a meaningful spot in a child’s life. These ideologies, let’s be real here, often get me “in trouble” because they signal a change in thinking, and we all know how people feel about change…
Those in charge think that, as an SLP, I better just embody the “S” in that acronym and solely be the “speech teacher.” Well, I say, embrace the “L.” Did we really go to school for 6+ years (buried in student loan debt, working for free in the name of practicum requirements) so we could pull kids out of learning to “fix” a small, habitual speech error that, for some reason, offends the rest of society? I doubt you answered yes to that question (if you did, this site is probably not the place for you). I’m certain, the majority of us entered this profession for reasons beyond articulation therapy. By embracing the Language of our training, I’ve found, not only makes our jobs more challenging (that’s where I plan to help you), but more fulfilling, even if it requires the dreadful change in the norms.
By nature, SLPs are people-helpers and find meaning when we are presented with a worthy challenge in service to others. We’re trained to feel good about making progress with our patients or students. We naturally thrive knowing what supports are needed to make a breakthrough. In schools, we show up each day motivated by the smallest steps towards progress— a sound approximation, a greeting, an accurate answer to a wh-question…but it is rare that we seek reinforcement by observing a mother using the strategies we discussed in the IEP to facilitate language development, or a teacher who actively accommodates all students with communication challenges. Ultimately, we want to support those critical carryover needs, but, the truth is, we’re tired…running on limited time and coffee. Our spunk strictly comes from progress in those we directly serve, which even then, tends to get squashed by administrators or other adults who want to see that progress neatly charted on a graph. Our excitement dwindles with the constant whirlwind of all our priorities: finish one of the 15 reports stacked on the desk, laminate and Velcro another visual schedule (that somebody else could certainly do, but we want it done right and right now!), or change our schedule once again to add the five new students on caseload.
The point is, SLPs are overloaded. The systems are not easily designed to help us help others (beyond the boundaries of legal time requirement). Attempting to change that system is exhausting. I hope that by browsing my blog and other areas of the website, you will tap some resources…you will find relief. Slowly, you will make small changes that begin to alleviate the monotony of the “S” and allow you to embrace your “L” in a more meaningful manner. You likely are my fellow SLP, or, perhaps a special educator; but, even if you’re a teacher, parent, administrator, or some nerd who wants to learn more about communication, I hope you all will enjoy the Say What?! blog. Perhaps you even know several families who need additional services through Speak Out!
I’ve spent years being the voice for those who too often go unheard and now I want to amplify those voices through this platform. I hope you, too, stick around to be heard!!